What is it Worth?
by screamin-psiren
Summary: NAKED LOGAN! Ok I just wrote that to get ppls attention :D. The X-men have to go and collect the leader of a Mutant Rights group, who has to choose between old friends and new. PLZ RnR, unloved me!
1. Default Chapter

*1*  
  
Raia had never been good at keeping her cool.   
  
It wasn't even a case of having a bad attitude, at least she didn't think it was. But whenever she got in a bad situation  
  
it seemed to feel like the world was squashing down on her, cramping and squeezing and pushing around her brain until she  
  
thought she'd go mad. Then she'd do whatever she could to try and press it all back away from herself. It was too   
  
close, it was too claustrophobic, too intimate for someone who had spent far too long a time ensuring that nothing could  
  
get close to her. But she wasn't a tender vulnerable little bunny rabbit either. She was cold and capable, strong and  
  
brave. Aidan had called her a warrior, their leader. Somewhere deep inside the tight binding of ice, her heart swelled  
  
whenever he said that. But it was only a slight feeling that never lasted, and was felt almost from a great distance.   
  
It also always felt like an emotion she had no right to feel.   
  
The only fierce emotions she had inside her were loyalty and anger. Loyalty for those friends who, bless them, had never  
  
questioned, never demanded to see, had merely accepted and *known* what she was. Who had taken the walk with her through  
  
their private bitter hells but had never demanded that she show them hers. Had shared more challenges with her. And   
  
anger, that was the glue that kept her shattered heart bound up so tightly inside that ice. If she ever even thought   
  
about it she could feel the ice trembling, and she knew with horrible clarity that if she allowed the anger out her   
  
entire heart would burst and reams of hate and sorrow and loss would pour out of her mouth and guts into the world.   
  
And she couldn't allow that. So even when the cool was lost only the smallest piece of the anger was even touched upon.   
  
With this small piece of anger she found herself ransacking the club she was supposed to be meeting the others in.   
  
They never should have left her on her own, they knew what she was like. It had all seemed so simple, wait for them to  
  
arrive, have a drink, have a dance, do whatever. Then a drunken man had started pawing at her and she had been stupid.  
  
She had roundhouse kicked him in the stomach and thrown him across the room with a punch. Idiotic displays of strength.  
  
Stupid stupid stupid. Then they had all gotten scared but who could blame them? But oh God the fear had just made it  
  
all the more worse. The anger inside her had almost glowed with the power that fear gave her. It fuelled the anger.  
  
Because all they could do was hate her.  
  
There were broken tables everywhere. There were broken people strewn around, men who had tried to stop her, restrain   
  
her, had clearly seen her for what she was. But otherwise the place was empty save for herself, the carnage, and the  
  
terrified bartender who she knew was hiding under the bar, afraid to come out. She sank down on the glass-strewn floor  
  
and permitted a few tears to squeeze themselves out. "Just one or two, I can't... Get it together man." she mumbled to   
  
herself before rising and removing her bag from underneath the seat by the backdoor. She threw some money across to the   
  
bar, hearing a whimper as it hit the bartender's head. "Sorry." she said in a weary, almost bored tone before grabbing  
  
some beers and exiting out of the back.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Logan looked up as Scott entered the kitchen with mussed up hair and a tired walk.   
  
"Hey."   
  
Scott did a double take at seeing him there before continuing to the fridge, mumbling a similar greeting. "How you   
  
holding up?" Logan asked cautiously after an awkward silence. He never knew whether it was appropriate to talk to Scott  
  
about what they were going through after the history they had both had with Jean. Even though the mourning had brought  
  
them arguably closer, there were some things Logan still didn't have a clue about tackling with a guy so different to   
  
himself. "I'm ok. Couldn't sleep." said Scott, his short responses making it apparent that he didn't want to discuss it.  
  
Logan accepted this and continued to stare out of the window as Scott rummaged through the fridge. He grinned at Scott's  
  
bowed head with something close to affection. He was a total pain in the ass with how responsible and uptight he was,   
  
but he was a good guy all the same. Jean had gone for the right guy... Logan cleared his throat and swiftly banished   
  
thoughts of her from his head. The last thing he needed was that hot pain that shot through his heart to happen around   
  
Scott. No matter how much the loss hurt him, he had never felt entitled to the grief he felt over Jean. If the rights   
  
to grief could be given away, all of it should have belonged to Scott. He was the one she had loved, he had got to feel   
  
her, to be with her in all the ways Logan had only got the chance to wonder about. Any resentment he felt over that,   
  
the knowledge that Jean would never have been his, was submerged in sorrow for Scott. He hoped Jean would have been   
  
proud of them. They weren't enemies anymore, even if they weren't quite yet friends.   
  
"I'm taking Kurt out to a bar tommorow. Seems our little elf friend has never had a drink before. Want to help me   
  
corrupt him?" he asked as Scott stood, laden with ingredients for what looked like it would be a very large sandwich.   
  
Scott chuckled slightly "No thanks, I don't want to get involved in the destruction of an innocent man." "What's wrong  
  
'Cyclops', can't take your drink?" Logan countered, appealing to the strong rivalry that was still present   
  
between them. "Nope, I'm just worried I'd have to carry you home." Scott replied, quirking an eyebrow. Logan laughed in  
  
surprise. The little bastard was getting sharp. The sun was starting to rise outside and Scott nodded towards it "Looks  
  
like tommorow is today..." They both heard the television go on in the other room and,curious, both wandered in. They  
  
found Professer Xavier flicking to a News channel. "Morning gentleman." he said without turning round, his gaze fixed  
  
upon the screen. "Are you ok Professer?" asked Scott with a slight frown of concern on his face, not used to seeing   
  
Xavier up so early. "I'm fine Scott, something just... alerted me in my sleep." he said softly, giving him a reassuring  
  
smile. "Anything serious?" Scott continued, sitting down next to him. Logan rolled his eyes and slouched down in a seat  
  
nearby. Chuck and Scott, what a pair. All business when it was 5 in the goddamn morning. He groped in his pockets,   
  
looking for a cigar...  
  
"No you don't Logan."   
  
He shot a glance at Xavier. He still hadn't looked away from the screen, but had a knowing smile on his face. Grunting  
  
in resignation, Logan left his cigars where they were.   
  
"... The suspect caused great damages to the club and left twenty seven club-goers with numerous injuries. It is  
  
reported by witnesses that the girl, aged between 18 and 25, appeared to have an unusual amount of strength, leading them  
  
to believe she was a mutant. The description given by witnesses fits a girl seen outside (...) prison facility shortly   
  
before the mutant prison break, which is believed to have been initiated by a Mutants Rights group known as Gagged..."  
  
Xavier's attention was positively locked on the television screen. A slow smile spread across his face before he   
  
whispered "What a poor, lost little girl."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. 2 Searching

*2*  
  
"God I've messed up..." Raia muttered to herself as she headed down the road. The sun was coming down so hot that upon   
  
hitting the ground ripples of pure heat crept back up into the sky, creating a blurred landscape that seemed more dream   
  
than real. The shimmering images of the trees were few and far between, the dusty golden brown of the earth dominating   
  
all that could be seen right up into the distance. Only the grey strip of road that cut through its centre provided a   
  
contrast. A blot on this otherwise consistent landscape, she trudged forwards slowly but determinedly. Flicking   
  
sweat-soaked hair out of her eyes, she gave an aggravated sigh. There wasn't another town for about ten miles, and  
  
there was no way in hell she could go back to the last one. There was no way of contacting someone when you were in the  
  
middle of a goddamn dustbowl, and the others wouldn't have a clue where she was.   
  
"You should go to Westchester."   
  
She frowned slightly at the utterly random thought that had encroached upon her brain. Why would she want to go to   
  
Westchester? She stopped her walk abruptly and remained as still as possibly, not even daring to breathe. That had not  
  
been her thought. And there was no one for miles. Her bronze eyes flickered left and right before she gave a small  
  
chuff of laughter in self-ridicule. Of course a psychic did not have to be anywhere near her. But whoever had just been  
  
sneaking around inside her brain, their gentle, pressing influence was in there. She could feel it. She was started out  
  
of her thoughts by the sound of an engine further up the road. Turning back, she saw a truck heading in her direction,   
  
a flurry of dust flying up on either side of it. Sticking her thumb out she willed them to stop. God knows there   
  
wouldn't be anyone else coming down here again for hours. She was relieved when the truck stopped.   
  
"Where to little lady?"   
  
"Next town." she replied to the burly man in the driver's seat, swinging her bag up into the truck and clambering in  
  
herself.   
  
"You shouldn't be hitchikin' on your own missy, it's dangerous." he commented as he started up and they headed down the  
  
road. When she didn't reply he glanced at her sideways. She looked young, barely older than a teenager. Her serious,  
  
almost strained look didn't aid in making her seem young though. She had the expression of someone who knew far  
  
more about people than she really wanted to. Still she was pretty, though he didn't get what the Hell she'd done to her   
  
hair. "It must get lonely." he tried again, not particularly wanting to spend the entire ride in silence. She gave a   
  
short sound of amusement, her eyes still fixed on the road ahead of them. "Yeah. I suppose it is. But you can be   
  
lonely whatever you're doing."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That evening Xavier called Orora, Logan and Scott in to his Office. Once they'd all arrived he went behind his desk and  
  
addressed them, glancing across their familiar faces. They had become a lot more care-worn since the death of Jean.   
  
Even though it had been several months, he knew that they still hurt. He didn't need to go probing around inside their   
  
minds for that to be apparent. He could see it on their faces, especially Scott. He was a lot more quiet, a little   
  
less light-hearted, and if it was possible, even more professional, as though drowning himself in work would stop him  
  
having to think. He regretted having to make them do anything, wishing he could give them more time to let the scars   
  
heal over at least to the outside world.   
  
"As Logan and Scott already know the topic I'm going to discuss with you, it will probably be best to enlighten Orora.  
  
A young mutant girl has made the news, destroying a club not that far south of us. I would like for you all to go and  
  
collect her." he reported to them.  
  
"And what if this girl doesn't want to go?" said Logan, raising an eyebrow stoically. "That's precisely why I'm sending  
  
you Logan." replied Xavier, eyes gleaming with humour. Logan shot a glare at Scott when he snickered in amusement.   
  
Orora frowned in confusion "I don't understand. Is the girl dangerous?" she said, flicking a glance at Scott that   
  
suggested she found it hard to believe obtaining one girl required all three of them. "That is hard to ascertain as of   
  
yet. Through Cerebro I put the suggestion into her mind that she wanted to come to Westchester, but she is surprisingly   
  
stubborn with regard to doing so. I also had extreme difficulty in finding out what her actual gift is. She seems to  
  
have a mental block around it, though that is not wholely uncommon with those who cannot accept what they are. She'll   
  
arrive eventually, whether she realises she means to or not, but I need you to speed up the process. I feel something is  
  
going to happen, as of yet I am not sure what. But I feel that this girl is involved somehow."   
  
"What if the girl isn't even a mutant. If you can't tell what her 'gift' is, then how can you tell for sure?" said   
  
Logan, disliking the idea of freaking out a normal kid by accident. "We'll be able to tell. Besides Logan, won't you  
  
be able to smell it on her?" said Scott sarcastically, standing up to go.   
  
"Y'know what kid why don't you take that spare visor of yours and plant it on your ass okay?"   
  
Xavier chuckled and shook his head as they left, Logan and Scott bickering with Orora trying desperately to shut them up. 


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting new friends

*3*  
  
Hellooo, I realise no one is reading this, but I'm actually quite enjoying this, so I'm gonna keep writing anyway :D   
  
Still, if you do actually read it, a review would be great. Any review would be better than my brothers considering he's  
  
meeean about my ideas *gonads him*. Also, review to tell me if you think I should involve romance between Raia and an   
  
X-men, or just have her flirting left right and everywhere? OR should I have a lame rivalry for her attentions thing  
  
going? That's already kinda going to happen with Aidan, but with X-men characters? And if so, who? Either way, enjoy.  
  
You know the drill, own no X-men, Marvel Marvel Marvel, whine whine whine, wish I did etc.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Would you two just shut the Hell up?!" Orora hissed quietly, after having endured an entire journeys worth of Logan and  
  
Scott's snipey banter "I swear you two are this close to being a married couple!" she said, raising an eyebrow and   
  
smirking at Logan's look of disgruntlement. "Even if I was that way inclined I hoped you'd credit me with better taste   
  
'Rora." muttered Logan quietly. Orora smiled to herself as she carried on moving stealthily up the stairs to the second  
  
floor motels. Maintaining contact with the Professer,they had established that the girl was sleeping the night here.   
  
Storm felt a sudden pang of loss as she thought of how this was the first time the X-men had been on a mission together  
  
without Jean. Every now and then, things just as stupid, as simplistic as this, induced a slow swelling of misery that  
  
she always felt she had to clamp down. Just finding an old book that Jean had let her borrow that she had never had the  
  
time to give back had resulted in her biting back tears in front of an entire class room of the children. It was not yet  
  
right to grieve. At least not in public. Such thoughts did not stop her missing Jean, the best friend, the one she   
  
shared her problems with, her life with. After so long of having felt alone, not just as a mutant but as a female mutant,  
  
she had found someone who had shared the same problems of discrimination. All lost. 'Now I'm left to handle these idiotic   
  
men on my own." she thought wryly, glancing back to check if they were keeping up. It was well after one o'clock in the  
  
morning, and the entire place was deathly silent save for a TV blaring loudly in the last motel room to the left. Logan  
  
suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. "One-eye wasn't even kidding. I can smell her." he said,eyes roving up and down  
  
the doors. "And she's not alone."   
  
The silence was abruptly broken when a door several feet up was smashed open and a man came flying out of it backwards,   
  
flipping over the railing with the momentum he possessed, and falling to the floor with a loud and sickening crunch.   
  
Scott winced "Think he's alive?" he whispered to Logan "Doubt it." said Logan, sounding utterly disinterested, his mind  
  
focused solely on the smell of their target. He stepped in front of Storm in an unconscious display of misogynistic   
  
chivalry which she was unsure whether she should be flattered or insulted by. She glanced back to see that Scott had  
  
retreated down the stairs to check on the man. Inching forward, Logan peered around the splintered frame of the door.   
  
The woman was lying in the bed in a vest top, one leg slung over the top of the sheets,seemingly totally dead to the   
  
world. One of her hands was tangled absentmindedly in her purple, braided hair, but as Storm crossed over the doorframe,  
  
momentarily blocking out the light, the hand lazily unwound itself. Both Logan and Storm started as her eyes flickered  
  
open. The eyes the colour of burnt gold surveyed them with a sleepy disinterest. "What do you want?" she said quietly,  
  
for all her quietness this one sentence speaking volumes of control and calm confidence. "Raia Sullivan?" asked Storm,  
  
cautiously stepping in to the room. Raia's entire lack of concern that strangers were entering her motel room was  
  
quite disturbing "Last time I checked, but you might wanna look at the label on my jeans. That normally helps me out   
  
when I can't remember." she replied flippantly, her eyes closing again as she rolled on to her back, stretching and   
  
arching her spine out from the bed luxuriously. Logan took in the blatant display and was more worried by the fact that   
  
he acknowledged her body than whether she had intended him to or not. At this point Scott entered also, "He'll be ok,   
  
broken leg but I've called an ambulance. We'll have to be out of here by then." he did a doubletake at the fact that  
  
Raia seemed to be continuing to sleep through all this. "You guys cops or something? The guy was trying to rob me,  
  
simple as that. You should be interrupting his sleep on the asphalt instead of my sleep in here." she said, opening her  
  
eyes again. "We're not cops." said Storm, knowing that she wasn't alone in being annoyed by this girls increasingly   
  
off-hand attitude. "Good. I didn't think Cops went for catsuits. Hey Goggles, mind passing me my jeans?" she said,  
  
flipping the sheet back and nodding to some jeans thrown on the chair behind Scott. He threw them over and she caught  
  
them easily "Thanks. I don't do free peep shows." she said, raising a sarcastic eyebrow before wriggling into the jeans.  
  
"We're from Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. He's concerned about your mutant capabilities, and would  
  
like you to return with us." continued Storm, ignoring her urge to laugh as upright Scott bristled at being inadvertently  
  
called a pervert. It was now Raia's turn to stiffen as she sharply span and sat up on the bed, her eyes flicking across  
  
their faces. Her own face noticeably hardened and it was more than apparent she was now taking the situation seriously.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a mutant." she said, her voice brisk and not allowing any argument.   
  
Logan rolled his eyes, his own doubts having been blown to smoke as soon as he'd caught her scent. "We know you are   
  
a mutant lady, so don't try and play around." he said, the words coming out far more antagonistic than even he meant them to.  
  
She grinned at him now in a way which was sure as Hell not friendly, and he tensed himself, aware that this could get  
  
aggressive very quickly. "I never play around buddy." she said, her tone quietly malicious. As Logan took in her   
  
expression he couldn't help but inwardly agree with that. The poor kid looked like she'd never had a good time in her  
  
whole life. "So why are you still here? I just told you I'm not a mutant, so you'd better get out before the nice  
  
happy sleepy haze wear's off and I get mighty mad." she continued, standing upright and pulling on a shirt and then a   
  
jacket. "There's no point in arguing. We know you're a mutant, you know you're a mutant, and you're going to go to  
  
Westchester eventually, whether we take you there or not." said Cyclops firmly, staring her down through his red vision.  
  
"Westchester, really? So that's who was poking around inside my head a couple of days ago." she said, smiling ruefully  
  
as she picked up her bag. "So what's your Professor want? And if he's such a big honcho why didn't he come and get me  
  
himself? Maybe then he'd realise what a mistake he's making." she said, throwing several of her braids over her shoulder  
  
with a toss of her head. "He's in a wheelchair." growled Logan in blatant annoyance. "And he wants to help you. His   
  
school helps mutants who need a place to go and can't handle their powers."   
  
Her expression remained blank with regard to this, the idea of an entire school of mutants, who could accept and love   
  
one another, seeming so unreal that it didn't even shake the bindings of her iced-over heart. "He has an entire school   
  
of mutants? What do they do all the time?" she said, looking at Cyclops and Storm now, dragging her attention away from   
  
the irritable looking hairy guy. "We educate them. Surely you can understand how hard it is for a mutant to get an  
  
education when most of the world is terrified of them..." began Cyclops "You're forgetting yourself Goggles, like I said,  
  
I'm not a mutant, so why should I know?" she interrupted, the sharp note returning to her voice. The group were   
  
beginning to get the feeling that this was not a topic they would be able to gain much ground on. "Maybe your Professor  
  
should be doing something a little more active with his school. Like helping other mutants." she said, eyes flaring for  
  
a moment with what could only be described as passionate conviction. Logan noted for the first time something that   
  
actually seemed to animate those burnt eyes of hers. "Why d'you think we came for you?" he said harshly, not liking  
  
her hostile attitude in the slightest. "Chuck tries to teach all the kids the importance of co-existing. He tries to   
  
create harmony between people like us and them. Even more than that he tries to protect normal humans, which is more   
  
than most of them deserve, from the mutants out there who try to destroy them." Scott gave Orora a surprised look and  
  
then a small smile. It seemed like Logan had taken on the ideals of the X men team if the strong tone of his voice was  
  
anything to go by. For the first time in this affair, Raia did not reply instantly. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she  
  
looked Logan over in an almost contemplative manner. There was a stretched silence in which they simply stared each   
  
other down. Finally Raia snapped out of it and slung her bag on her shoulder once more. "Your professor sounds like an  
  
interesting man. But regardless, that's your fight,not mine. If you're not leaving I am." she continued, heading for   
  
the door only to be blocked by Logan. "So you're the trousers and he's the mouth then?" she said, twisting a smirk at   
  
him. "We're just trying to help." he said. Her gaze flicked to behind him and a small, but certainly more genuine   
  
smile, flitted across her mouth "Took you long enough."  
  
Turning sharply, Logan found a group of about five people standing behind him, expressions stern and certainly not  
  
friendly. At their head was a tall, muscularly built man with close-cropped brown hair. He was wearing a long trench  
  
coat over his shoulders, and now stepped back in an impromptu bow, eyes fixed on Raia. "Is there a problem?" he asked,  
  
not even hiding his hostile up-down of Logan and Cyclops in turn. "No. No problem. It's good to see you all, everyone  
  
ok?" she said to the group in general, receiving a multitude of replies all in the affirmative. A girl who only looked  
  
about fourteen, who was skinny almost to the point of being emaciated, stepped forward, her hollow eyes taking in the  
  
X-men. "They haven't hurt you have they?" she said, so softly it was hard to hear her. "No Amp, I'm fine." said Raia,  
  
the ice that perforated even her eyes melting slightly.   
  
Cyclops assessed the situation, and their likelihood of getting out of this with Raia and no violence was probably on   
  
the scale of slim to none. This group of most likely mutants looked more than ready and willing to start causing   
  
anarchy if given the chance. Three guys and two girls, one guy being damn close to seven foot tall, and the others not  
  
exactly short of muscles. Xavier had mentioned nothing about this girl having an entire band of followers! "It's   
  
time we should be going. Later strangers." she said, nodding at them as she looked to step past Logan again. He   
  
unsheathed his claws and put his arm across the doorway, the claws biting into the already broken frame. Out of the   
  
corner of his eye Logan saw all of the group bristle and settle into fighting stances. The brown haired guy at the head  
  
flicked his trench coat off, revealing not two, but six arms, the four extra ones growing from either side of his   
  
abdomen directly beneath where the normal two were. Flexing them all, he grabbed hold of Logan's collar only to find   
  
Logan's other set of claws placed under his throat.  
  
"Logan that's enough. We didn't come here to fight. Let's go back." ordered Scott, eyes looking over the other mutants  
  
warily. A low growl came out of Logan's throat before he slowly removed his claws from the six-armed mans throat, and  
  
then the doorway. He already had an intense dislike for the man. "Very impressive." commented Raia, nodding down  
  
towards Logan's claws even as he sheathed them. He caught the flash of what could only be jealousy in arm-boy's eyes,   
  
and was not above giving a mildly seductive grin to Raia just to piss him off. "Maybe you should check out what else I   
  
can do sometime." Raia remained deadpan in response to this, save for giving a little chuff of laughter. "Come on.   
  
We're leaving. And Raia, Professor Xavier's offer stands. If you ever need to get to us, you'll be able to find your   
  
own way there." said Storm,stepping past them all. "Duly noted." Raia replied, giving the eight foot tall mutant a   
  
cautionary look when he looked about to step in their way. He instantly backed down, and Scott noted a glow in the   
  
huge man's hands fading as he allowed them to pass.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Fascinating people..." said Raia quietly to herself as the others loaded her things in to one of the cars they had   
  
brought. Aidan, ever by her side, pricked up his ears "Sorry Raia?" "Interesting people. Especially the Kitty..." she  
  
continued, smiling wryly and toying with one of her braids.   
  
"The Kitty?"   
  
She glanced at him and grinned, a grin that never quite reached her eyes. "Yeah. Claws, hairy, much growling. Kitty!"  
  
she repeated, before returning back to her own world of contemplation. Aidan set his jaw and distracted himself from   
  
worrying about his leader with ordering the others to hurry up. Amp gingerly stepped forward until she was standing   
  
beside Raia. Without even looking up, Raia absentmindedly put an arm out and gave the girl a gentle pat on the head.   
  
"Hows my toughest soldier doing?" she said, finally snapping out of it to bestow the warmest smile she could ever manage.   
  
Amp gave a hesitant, sweet little smile. "Good. I'm always worried I'm not doing enough to help." she said, eyes   
  
darting nervously around in embarassment. Certainly Amp could not help with the bags, but then she was so tiny. "Hey   
  
of course you're doing enough. It's enough that you're here at all doing what's right, helping the cause. You're as   
  
much a part of the team as any of us." said Raia, giving her an amiable slap on the arm. Amp smiled again now, a smile   
  
utterly beautiful in its total joy and pride. She had received a compliment from Raia! She was part of the team! Raia   
  
felt her heart wince at the total innocence of that smile.  
  
"I wish I could build a world better than this for you. You shouldn't have to hide in the shadows, like me."   
  
The words flew up into the hollow in her chest and she had to grit her teeth to stop them being said. Certain walls had  
  
to be maintained for the sake of preserving the cause as people's priority. Even to those whom Raia considered herself  
  
closest, she remained distant, slightly cool, ever detached. It was necessary, and not simply due to the mission. There  
  
were only so many looks of disgust and rejections a person could take before they stopped knowing how to share   
  
themselves.  
  
"Ok guys lets pack up. We hole ourselves in somewhere for the night so we don't get any more visitors. Then we head   
  
East."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	4. Chapter Four: Plans Begin

Raia nursed a headache away from the corners of her vision with a rub of her hand across her temple, wincing slightly at  
  
the loud metal music that someone had turned on. Music was good, but not when it registered on the richter scale and not  
  
when she was trying to think. It was a good thing they were in the middle of nowhere. Pulling herself up, she took a   
  
patrol around what was essentially a very quickly put together camp. The entire area comprised of sleeping bags, tents   
  
that varied from either being professionally made ones or sheets of material sewn together, and several vans from out of   
  
which spilled a variety of bits and pieces. Tiny gas cookers, chairs, blankets, packets of food, clothes. Raia picked   
  
her way through all of them as she took stock of her surroundings. There was close to thirty of them now. Sixteen were   
  
her own people, actual followers, the rest were an assortment of convicts that they had broken out and wanderers and   
  
runaway teenagers. Every single one of them special in their own unique way. She walked past a group of about ten men   
  
who were being trained in self-defense by Aidan. "Take it easy on them Aidan, they don't have four extra limbs!" she   
  
called out when she noted the sweat they were working up. He smiled and gave her a nod, waving with one of his many   
  
arms. Self-defense was necessary even if these people chose not to join them, or even support them. Raia was not   
  
vindictive. As mutants, they needed to be protected even if they did not agree with what she was trying to do. So she   
  
would help them to protect themselves. That was the whole purpose of what they were doing after all, protecting mutants.  
  
Her and Aidan, and the others, had argued over this several times. He insisted that if people refused to join the group   
  
then any fighting skills may well be used against the group. A fair few of the other followers had rallied with this   
  
point, much to Raia's aggravation. Raia had told them in no uncertain terms that whatever anyone they aided went  
  
on to do with their help was their own decision. She could not blame her followers for the paranoia and suspicion they  
  
felt. They had been living with persecution their whole lives, and all had in them now an ingrained sense of bitterness  
  
and bloodlust. She certainly knew she herself did.   
  
Now Aidan stopped the men that he was training in the middle of a combat sequence. "Gentlemen, I think Raia would like a   
  
word with you all." He stepped back respectfully, eyes turning to her. As always, Raia felt mildly uncomfortable at his  
  
total deference to her. She did not know how or why she had become the leader of the organisation. Aidan insisted it  
  
was because she had 'the vision'. She did not see it as a vision, she saw it as the future which she would make happen  
  
if necessary. Aidan, and a great deal of her other followers, admired this sheer dogged determination in her almost to  
  
the point of adoration. Adoration did not inspire closeness, it almost promoted the distance that Raia felt every day   
  
in an almost tangible shape. It was far easier to admire someone you saw as an icon of liberation, as the figure for a  
  
cause, than a genuine human being who still had feelings.   
  
"Sirs, I will not bore you for long. All of you are convicts, recently... liberated from your situation." said Raia,  
  
smiling slightly as they all let out raucous cheers at this. "You are also mutants. It was for this reason that you are  
  
here, and for this reason that you were helped in escaping. Whether your gift is insignificant or monumental, it is my  
  
personal belief that whilst aware of you being a mutant, it was impossible for you to receive a fair trial." Raia paused  
  
now and smiled. "This is why I felt the need to create my own judgement system." Once more there was a loud cheerful  
  
response which Aidan swiftly silenced with pacifying motions. "I have no intention of advocating mutant supremacy. All  
  
I wish for is the same rights to be given to mutants, that are given to so-labelled 'normal' people. I only desire   
  
harmony. And if I have to raise Hell to make 'normal' people realise that mutants will not be treated as a lower being,  
  
then I will. In this instance, you can leave, or you can stay. Whether you choose to support us in spirit, in body or  
  
not at all is entirely your choice. That is known as Freedom. Since I advocate it I have no right to force you into   
  
aiding us. It is your decision."   
  
There was a brief moment of silence as the men seemed to take in what was being said. It was hard to know what to say  
  
after a rant that seemed to spring from pure belief. Aidan smiled. It was precisely for this reason that they followed  
  
Raia.   
  
"I'm with you." said one man. After a pause others uttered it, until all but three of the group of ten had. Aidan's  
  
eyes hardened on the three who said nothing. Raia simply nodded her thanks and continued on her way.   
  
The sooner she managed to get the concept of what this Professor Xavier was trying to do out of her head the better.   
  
Perhaps their ideals were similar. But she for one was not going to sit on her ass and wait for this remarkable   
  
tolerance for mutants to occur. She was going to *make* it happen. As for the Kitty, he was normally everything she  
  
looked for in someone to join their group. But it was in fact his utter dedication to whatever this Professor was trying  
  
to do that was building up the niggling doubt in her brain. Men like that didn't believe in something that strongly if  
  
it wasn't something impressive. Humming to herself as if to dispel her thoughts, she continued surveying the camp.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The X men were assembled and were taking a stroll around the gardens of the school as they discussed the mission that had  
  
fallen flat. "If I had known Raia had such alliances with other mutants I would not have risked sending you. I didn't   
  
want to press too deeply into her mind, it is dangerous whilst using Cerebro." said Xavier, travelling slowly along in   
  
his wheelchair, smiling as some of the younger children scampered past shrieking. "Do you still believe she is dangerous  
  
Professor?" said Scott, frowning. They already had Magneto and mankind to deal with, another foe would prove to put an  
  
intense strain on them. "I think the very threat I detected was in fact what you encountered Scott. She has formed   
  
strong alliances with a large group of mutants, and of what you have told me of what she said to you,she appears to be  
  
strongly active in her belief that mutants should be treated equally. Combined the two suggest she is in fact the   
  
leader of that organisation they associated her with, Gagged, or at the very least a member." Logan scowled to himself.  
  
"So this means she's dangerous?" he continued, managing to resist a smile as a kid smacked into his leg and then took  
  
off again. "The danger could arise from her, or it could arise from the situation she is in. Either way I feel that  
  
her actions over the next week or so will decide upon all that occurs for us from now onwards." They all nodded, but   
  
Logan simply grimaced, looking out across the trees at the skyline. He'd certainly got bad vibes off the many-armed guy,  
  
but not really from her. An attitude that pissed him off greatly, but no bad vibes. She'd just seemed... bleak, and  
  
empty, as though there was no point in anything she did. And more than anything, lonely. "If she is the problem you're   
  
talking about then we aren't gonna be able to change her mind. You didn't see her Chuck, the only thing that she seemed  
  
to give a damn about was helping mutants. As soon as we mentioned mutants she listened to us, as soon as we talked   
  
about what your intentions are she paid attention. She believes in whatever it is she's doing." Logan said seriously.  
  
A sudden sharp image of her as she arched up from the bed, stretching her lithe body upwards, flew into Logan's brain,  
  
and he started. Where the Hell had that come from? Chuck continued to talk as Logan tuned out entirely, wondering   
  
where the image had come from so sharply and so suddenly. He shot a glance at Scott who was listening intently to  
  
the Professor, then at Storm. Nobody else seemed to be bothered by anything untoward. He shook his head. Either he  
  
was getting uncontrollable urges about any female in a five mile radius, or someone was messing with his mind. Cocky  
  
liberalists weren't normally his type. "Is it possible that she's telepathic?" Logan interrupted, catching up with the  
  
others again as Rogue and Bobby wandered over to join them. "Extremely unlikely. If she was she would have built up   
  
a slight mental block against my invasion into her mind. The suggestion that she go to Westchester would have had no   
  
effect on her." said Xavier, glancing back at Logan thoughtfully at his question. "What's up?" inquired Bobby, one arm  
  
slung around Rogue's shoulders. "Things. Haven't you got anything better to do?" said Logan with a sharp look, feeling   
  
irritable that his reasoning for her being in his head didn't cut it. "It's alright, them knowing isn't going to change   
  
anything." said Xavier reasonably, reacting to their hurt expressions. Xavier's attention then returned to Logan, and  
  
he smiled slightly, eyes glinting humour. "She's an interesting woman, isn't she? A great sense of honour to a species  
  
of humans even as she refuses to admit she is one herself." Logan shifted on the balls of his feet, uncomfortable under  
  
this type of perusal. If he didn't know that Chuck was an honourable guy he could have sworn he was sifting through his  
  
brain. "Interesting pain in the ass is what she is." he mumbled, making the others chuckle slightly at his awkwardness.   
  
Rogue looked at him knowingly and gave him a smile, which he returned slightly begrudgingly but nevertheless genuinely.  
  
Rogue was a great kid who seemed to get him without even trying. "For now I guess there's nothing else we can do, until  
  
she makes a move." volunteered Scott. "Very true. And I have a feeling that the move that she makes will happen very  
  
soon." said Xavier "How d'you know?" Asked Rogue, expecting some impressive reply. "Because she's impatient, like most  
  
leaders." he replied, smiling in good humour.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Raia threw Amp another blanket as she continued to throw more sticks on to the fire they had started. The night sky was  
  
peppared with bright stars, and the camp flickered with the warm glow the fires had created as people headed towards   
  
them. The stragglers had all gone to bed, whilst Gagged was assembled more or less, around the central fire. As if in  
  
a subconscious pecking order, those who had only just joined hovered on the periphery, almost out of the glow of the  
  
firelight, whilst those who had been with them longest were with Raia about the fire. The only exception to this was   
  
Amp, who, as the youngest, Raia always treated a little more delicately. "I was thinking about what you said to those  
  
recruits this morning Raia," said Aidan, settling himself down next to the fire. Raia rolled her eyes to herself at the  
  
use of the word 'recruits'. "I just thought... maybe we're being too generous. Too soft on the humans." Raia settled  
  
herself across from him and gave him a cool, even stare. "So what do you suggest?"  
  
"We hit them hard! Like they've been doing to us for goddamn years! Show them they have to accept us." he continued.  
  
The rest of the group had quietened and were all listening as he began warming to his theme, Raia merely watching.   
  
"We have feared for our lives, ALL our lives. We deserve the chance to be treated normally. I say we don't push enough,  
  
I say we keep pushing until their will against us cracks, and they let us into society, a society that belongs to us  
  
just as much as it does to them." Aidan's voice had risen so that all could hear him, and a vast majority of the group   
  
all cheered, rallying around this idea. Raia remained utterly still, her gaze trained steadily on Aidan. "And what would  
  
that accomplish?" she said finally, her voice easily overcoming the yells and silencing everyone. "Forcing, making them  
  
accept us. It won't do jackshit! We push, they do it under duress. Jesus Christ their main fear of us is that we're  
  
dangerous." "Well maybe we should use that fear." said Jake, an eight foot mutant capable of healing and also ultimately  
  
destroying by increasing or reversing a person's natural healing mechanisms, which caused another ripple of encouragement.   
  
"To what end exactly? To make them more frightened so that they persecute us further? How stupid are you people? They   
  
are still in the majority, they still hold the power. We continue as we are, we make an impact on them, we show we will   
  
not accept persecution, and then we BACK DOWN again. We are on the offensive boys and girls, but not the attack. The   
  
instant we choose attack over defense we become that bad guys that they love to think we are." Raia said strongly,   
  
her voice echoing sharply about the camp, her eyes flaring and looking round at them all. The trees bristled against a   
  
soft breeze as the group silenced, sensing Aidan back down even as he did so. At this point a man several feet back held   
  
out his hand towards the fire where drinks had been placed "God I need a drink."   
  
"Don't!" exclaimed Raia too late, as the entire tray of drinks flew across to the man, drenching him and those around him  
  
from head to toe. Once the laughter at their expense had died down, Raia stood up. "Ladies and Gentleman, when you are  
  
standing within thirty feet of this girl," - at this she motioned an embarassed Amp to stand "You will moderate your  
  
powers. Her name is Amp and it isn't just a cute nickname, any mutant around her has their powers amplified by up to three  
  
times their normal limits. I don't want a repeat of that with something more dangerous than water." Blushing, Amp sat   
  
down. "It's alright Amp you can't help it." said Jake, placing an enormous hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "Now,  
  
newcomers," declared Raia loudly, turning in circles so that everyone was addressed. "In two days time we will reach  
  
our destination, which is the government buildings in New York. Our intention is to get into the building and find   
  
verification on mutant testing, which it has been rumoured for many years have been undergone with full government  
  
approval. Once we have this proof, we tell the world. If the world's humans don't care, I'm sure it will at least   
  
bring more mutants round to the idea of not enduring what we have done for decades now. In order to get into the   
  
building we will be divided into several separate teams. Under no circumstances lose your team..."   
  
As Raia continued a young teenager who had joined the group inched away before running out of the woods where the camp  
  
was secreted, and up onto the highroad, heading for the nearest town. 


	5. Chapter Five: When Plans go Wrong

Wooooo! Yay wahooo waheee! People actually read it! *does the happy dance* Thankee sooo much Faith B, and the clery's  
  
are very useful, my hands just seem to type what they want to sometimes. Hope you continue to like it. Thank you also  
  
Freya, I think when I typed in Naked Logan I was having a random drool moment, hee hee. I'm sure I can wrangle it in  
  
somewhere... how about a semi-naked Logan in this Chpt? No? The full hog? Sure I can get it in, *sniggers* anyways,  
  
enjoy...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Raia dropkicked a man in the face, allowing her momentum to flip her all the way round before running down the   
  
next corridor, heart pounding at a painful rate inside her chest, breath rasping through her. Her feet hit out a loud  
  
rhythm on the floor, almost drawing them all to her. The sounds of gunfire and screams only served to increase her sense  
  
of fury and helplessness. The irony that she had told the others not to lose their group, and had in fact   
  
herself been separated, was not lost on her. They had all entered as intended in their different groups, searching the  
  
building.   
  
Someone had intended that they should all be inside before any action was taken.   
  
The instant that Hell ripped loose had happened so quickly Raia could barely register how. One minute she had been   
  
creeping through the dark rooms with her group, Aidan close behind, the next she was throwing herself through a bombard   
  
of bullets and screaming for them all to run. All around the huge building she could hear weapons firing, could hear   
  
yells which she could not discern as mutant or human, telling her that all of the groups had been found and were   
  
fighting for their lives. Thinking about who had done this to them, feeling fear, all of it would come later. She was   
  
thinking too hard, running too hard, to be afraid, though she felt the edge of it tightening her chest as she would feel  
  
the edge of a knife against her throat. Turning sharply round a corner she encountered three men in army fatigues who   
  
instantly turned on her, chambering bullets in her direction. "Freeze!" one roared even as she continued running towards  
  
them. A bullet tore through her shoulder as she impacted with the one in the middle, legs flying out simultaneously to   
  
take out the other two with sharp kicks to the stomach. Landing on the ground with the man beneath her and snapping   
  
his neck in one clean movement, she rolled over him, taking his gun with her, and span in a crouch, shooting each of the   
  
other two in the legs. Grabbing their weapons off them and what magazines they had as they writhed in pain on the floor,  
  
she stuffed the guns into the belt of her trousers, followed by the magazines. Panting for breath, she lightly touched  
  
her shoulder wound as she inched down the corridor and hissed out a curse as pain burnt hotly through her nerves.   
  
Loading her gun, she span around the corner and carried on, listening as gunfire echoed all around her. As it got   
  
closer she found herself moving into a gallery that overlooked a large hall.   
  
Peering down she saw three of the four groups were pinned there, surrounded by these men from the army. It was   
  
obviously taking considerable effort for the army to keep them there due to the strength of most of the mutants. Aidan   
  
was a blur of movement as he fought his way through dozens of them, but more seemed to be coming in a neverending stream   
  
from corridors surrounding the room. Bullets flew in a blur of blood and screams, with Jake healing everyone to the   
  
point of his own exhaustion, collapsing behind a wall of mutants who rose up to protect him. Magdalena, a girl with   
  
flame-red hair, let out what could only be described as a banshee-shriek before sending a torrent of pure energy into   
  
the ranks of the army, sending a dozen flying backwards. Letting out a snarl of anger and frustration, Raia pulled   
  
away from the wall where she had shielded herself and began to fire into the mass of the army, taking them down.   
  
Loading up again against the wall, she pulled away and roared at the top of her voice "GET OUT! GET OUT OF THE BACK!   
  
I'LL COVER YOU!"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The world blurred as she staggered out into the darkness, into the cool night and the woods that shielded her from   
  
danger. They may follow her into here, but it would be near impossible to find her. Her breath came to her in hitching  
  
little hiccups, and her muscles burnt beyond belief, her lungs were aflame.   
  
She had fallen out of the building into the barely known city with no possibility of turning back and had stopped a   
  
passing car, throwing the driver out in utter animalistic panic before driving. She had heard police cars, sirens, and  
  
ambiguously dark vans had hounded her. She had to ditch the car, it made her too easy to find. They trailed her to the   
  
very edge of the city before she had shook them off only for an instant, collapsing out of the car in a scramble. There   
  
was blood all over the seats. She had run, run as hard and fast as she had ever thought she could, out away from the   
  
city's edge. It seemed impossible to drag air into her lungs as she collapsed down against a tree, tearing pieces off   
  
her shirt with her teeth. First one bandage, then another. She swallowed as fear welled up inside her. There was too   
  
much blood. Far too much blood to get out of here alive. She needed a hospital, but hospitals didn't take mutants.   
  
Least of all mutants with gunshot wounds. Letting out a small keen of pain as she tightened up the second bandage and   
  
blood gushed out around the sides, she dragged herself upright before continuing forwards. She had been injured dozens   
  
of times before, had been shot before. But she had lost too much blood to simply stitch herself up and lay low this   
  
time. She would die within days if she even tried it. Her thoughts flickered erratically from herself to the group.   
  
Where were they? How long would she be able to keep going? How many had got out alive? How would they be able to find   
  
her again? One thing was simple and was adamantly drumming in the back of her brain: she needed medical attention.   
  
Where she was going to get it however was a far more elusive notion. A memory of her visitors in the dark only a week   
  
ago gave her pause. There was no reason for believing that they might have suitable medical facilities to care for her.   
  
But nevertheless... they were mutants, mutants who had offered her help in the past. She was more than reluctant to   
  
accept it, and would not have ventured near Westchester in any other situation. But if it was a choice between that and   
  
death... Giving a mental 'fuck it' she headed forward at a faster pace, wanting to get further away from the main city   
  
before trying to find a road.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ororo trudged down the stairs grumbling to herself as she pulled on her dressing gown, ordering children to go back to   
  
bed even as they peaked their heads around the dorm room doors. "Storm what's..." began Rogue as Orora marched past her,   
  
swiftly followed by Kurt who had been awoken also. He flashed Rogue a nervous smile as he went past. Rogue was one of   
  
the few people aside from the X men that he actually spoke to, being not just chronically shy but painfully embarassed   
  
about the way his appearance was commonly received, even by mutants. "It's just the door! Would people go back to sleep  
  
around here?!" Storm exclaimed, throwing her arms up in annoyance. Rogue smiled and followed her. It was well known   
  
that Storm did not like her sleep to be interrupted. Once they had got downstairs they found Scott and Logan heading   
  
towards the front door from the other direction. Logan was very much without a shirt, something that Rogue couldn't help  
  
but notice and blush slightly to herself over. "What the Hell's with all this racket?" scowled Logan angrily, storming   
  
towards the door and yanking it open. A pale girl with purple braided hair instantly collapsed against him and he   
  
caught her just in time, gripping her round the waist and holding her upright. "Raia!" Scott said with evident surprise.   
  
"Who is she?" asked Kurt, running over to help when he saw the girl was covered in blood. "This is our little vigilante   
  
we told you about." said Logan, gritting his teeth against her weight as he slung her up into his arms. "My that's a big  
  
word for a guy like you Logan." said Scott, flashing him a grin. "My that's a big mouth for a loser like you Scott."   
  
Logan swiftly replied before heading down to the medical room, the others swiftly following him. "Rogue, go wake up the   
  
Professor for me." said Storm. Rogue nodded and padded off in the direction she had come.   
  
"So this is the elusive Raia." said the Professor once he had joined them, rolling his chair forward until he was beside   
  
her reclined head. She lay in a bed entirely unconscious after Storm had treated her wounds, removing one bullet from   
  
her shoulder, another from her stomach. "She has lost an incredible amount of blood Professor. I don't know if she'll   
  
be able to survive." said Storm, her brows knitted together in concern. Xavier rested a hand against Raia's forehead   
  
gently, face serious. "I have faith in your ability Storm. Jean taught you a great deal of things. I am sure she will   
  
pull through." he said. Storm smiled uncertainly at the compliment, doubting herself far more than the others did.   
  
Never before had she held someone's life in her hands, at least medically speaking, and the thought terrified her. "I'll   
  
keep an eye on her tonight." volunteered Logan, surprising them all. It even surprised him, but he knew he wouldn't be   
  
able to sleep knowing she was down here. Concern had hit him full-force the instant she had collapsed in to his arms,   
  
and more than that a caution. They still did not know if she represented a danger to them or not. Looking down at her   
  
as she was now, sleeping and peaceful, he could not imagine for an instant that she was dangerous. She looked sweet,  
  
beautiful even. The others filtered out of the room and he settled down in a chair for the night, eyes fixed on her   
  
sleeping form.  
  
Five days passed and Raia showed no signs of waking up. They all took it in turns to keep an eye on her, so that she   
  
would have someone with her when she awoke, and they all found themselves trying to encourage her awakening in whatever   
  
way they could. Kurt mumbled prayers to himself as he anxiously looked at her, worried that his shocking face would   
  
send her into unconsciousness again if he was the one who received her awakening. Storm read poems to her, checking   
  
every few instances to see if any acknowledgement passed across her face. Scott talked to her, telling her about the   
  
school, about the Professor, recalling how it had interested her before. Logan, who was the most constant watcher over   
  
her, occasionally threw insults at her sleeping form in the hope of riling her into consciousness, but mostly just   
  
willed her to wake up. She genuinely did not feel like a threat to any of them, and even if she was, she was   
  
too weakened to pose one now. When Raia finally did awaken, it was the first time she had been left on her own since   
  
she had arrived, Scott having left for only a second to help Storm with a demonstration in a class. As soon as   
  
consciousness came to her she forced her dead-heavy eyes open, and upon discovering unfamiliar surroundings, threw   
  
herself off the bed in a panic, crouching beneath it. Buckling in instant pain from her wounds and having moved too   
  
quickly, she took in her surroundings. The white, sparse walls suggested a medical room, and she touched her bullet   
  
wounds to find them cleaned and dressed. She vaguely remembered finding Xavier's school and knocking on the door for   
  
what felt like an eternity, with no one answering. She had felt as if all of the efforts she had made to get here had   
  
been for nothing. Now, she tried to stand and her legs betrayed her, trembling and collapsing underneath her. Cursing   
  
to herself, she used the bed to pull herself upright, struggling over to a chair where she warily surveyed her   
  
surroundings. Taking a few deep breaths, she noted she was still wearing her blood soaked, torn clothes. Black, for the  
  
mission... The group. Where the Hell were they? With this motivation in mind Raia willed her strength to return and   
  
tried to stand up again, pleased when her legs seemed a little more willing to carry her.   
  
Cautiously making her way down the brightly lit corridors, she found a lift to one side which she went up in to find   
  
herself in another corridor, which was a stark contrast to the previous ones. Dark, modest furnishings that suggested  
  
a wealthy country house surrounded her, panelled walls, large expansive windows that revealed large green grounds with  
  
magnificent trees surrounding the building. The scenery at least looked familiar, and Raia found herself relaxing  
  
slightly. So this really was Xavier's house. The place was all suspiciously quiet. Glancing at her watch she noted   
  
that it was 10:30. It was a school after all, people were probably in lessons. Moving slowly, partly due to caution   
  
and partly due to necessity from her general feeling of exhaustion, she made her way through several doors, encountering  
  
lounges with TVs, computer games, and a variety of other games for the kids during recreation time. It all seemed so...  
  
normal. As a mutant Raia had spent her life running, sleeping in disgusting motel rooms and in the back of vans. A  
  
feeling bordering on jealousy flashed through her. This was the normal life she had always wanted for herself, for all  
  
the mutants that she had ever known.   
  
As she headed through another corridor to a further door she heard a discussion coming from where she was headed.  
  
"...think Wolverine's hot! He's got that whole bad boy thing going about him, it's just yummy!"  
  
"No way! Mr Summers is just SO much better looking than him."  
  
"Well at least with Wolverine you can actually see his eyes..."  
  
The conversation stopped abruptly when Raia pushed open the door, finding three guilty looking teenage girls hovering  
  
around a counter in the kitchen sharing a pack of cookies. Their expressions of guilt changed to confusion as they  
  
took in this stranger in tattered clothes. "Umm.. hi, are you new here?" said one of the girls, stepping forward and  
  
smiling brightly as Raia continued to survey the room, paying very little attention to them at all. "Something like   
  
that." she replied vaguely, hearing her stomach grumble loudly. The girls all giggled "The fridge is over here." said  
  
one of the other two, opening the fridge door. "Thanks." she said quietly before heading over and rummaging inside.  
  
The girls continued talking about something that was conspicuously not about either of the men previously referred to,   
  
and Raia collected up what looked like the remains of a tuna salad and began ravenously attacking it, sliding down the   
  
counter next to the fridge and sitting on the floor. She gave them a dark grin as they looked at her oddly until they  
  
turned away again before she felt a sudden wash of weariness sweep over her. She suddenly felt red hot and her vision  
  
seemed bleached of any colour or detail. Dropping the bowl of tuna salad her head rolled back, smacking against the   
  
counter. "Are you ok?" asked one of the girls worriedly, stepping forward. "I'm... I'm fine..." she mumbled, never   
  
having found it so hard to utter words before. At this point Logan and Scott entered the kitchen, having come to find  
  
her. Scott came over and picked her up, ready to carry her back to the medical room, but the near-faint ended as quickly  
  
as it had started and she struggled to be put down. When rested on her own feet she peered at him hazily before smiling  
  
"Goggles! And Kitty! Long time no see." At this point in time Kurt teleported into the room, starting in surprise when  
  
he saw how many people were there, and then starting again when he saw Raia was up. She raised her eyebrows upon seeing  
  
him, slowly taking in his tail, his blue skin. He looked ridiculously wretched as he felt the perusal, forcing his  
  
yellow eyes up to meet hers... And she was smiling at him. "That was incredible! Do that again." she said, gesturing   
  
to where he was standing. Amazed that she didn't even seem to acknowledge his shocking appearance, and bashful all at   
  
the same time due to her compliments, he teleported to the other end of the kitchen. "Wow. Can you only teleport   
  
yourself or can you move other things?" She asked, her interest apparent. Kurt looked like he was about to reply just as  
  
eagerly when he was cut short "You can interrogate Kurt later, right now you need to get some rest." interrupted Logan,  
  
stepping forward. She raised an eyebrow, her contrary nature rising up inside her so that she affected feeling perfectly  
  
fine. "You're just pissed off 'cause I haven't asked you to pop your claws Kitty." "You carry on that way and you'll  
  
see them soon enough." he replied, gaze threatening. "That's enough Logan."  
  
They all turned to see Professor Xavier enter the room, his gaze locked on Raia, his expression gentle. Raia was   
  
surprised by the instant feeling of respect she felt for this man who radiated compassion, dignity and strength. "Hello  
  
Raia. I'm Professor Charles Xavier." he said calmly, proferring a hand. Absurdly, Raia's instant inclination was to   
  
leave. She knew it was idiotic, she was in no state to be travelling anywhere, but now that she was here and would have  
  
to deal with these people she felt out of her element, and more importantly, out of control. "It's good to meet you.   
  
Thanks for the help, but I think I should be going now. I have a lot of stuff to do." She said, her tone dismissive as  
  
she backed up, looking ready to leave. "You've lost a lot of blood and have been unconscious for five days, you won't  
  
make it up the road without passing out." said Scott, though nobody moved to stop her leaving. "We wish to help you."   
  
continued Xavier, his gaze seeming to pierce deep inside her. Raia mentally cursed herself. It was just because he   
  
was psychic. "Oh really? You want to help me? Why the Hell would you want to do that? Why should I believe you?"   
  
snapped Raia disdainfully in a sudden whiplash of bitterness. "Let me show you what has gone on while you have been  
  
unconscious." said Xavier.  
  
She buckled as alien feelings, feelings from other people's brains, assailed her. Concern... Warmth... Affection...  
  
Worry... Faith... Kindness... Honour. As they all surged about her head she knew that they had been directed at *her*   
  
as they had willed her to wake up again. Images and words writhed through her brain, of... the woman called Ororo,   
  
reading her poems, "What if I fail her and she dies? It will be my fault if she never wakes up again...". The angry  
  
guy pacing next to her, his name was Logan and he thought she was going to die. He felt protective of her and he was  
  
furious that he didn't even know why. "Sleeping women. I'm a sucker for sleeping women. They look defenseless. She  
  
could destroy all I care about from what Chuck has said and all I want is for her to wake up." Scott Summers, telling  
  
her about this beautiful home of theirs, the students, the hope they give them with what they teach them. Waves of pride  
  
and affection emanating from his speech, wrapped round a deep bone-chilling sorrow. "Jean would know how to talk to her,  
  
to make her feel safe here. She would make her understand we want to help. Oh God it's like a numb part of me that  
  
will never thaw out again." The fabulous, blue Nightcrawler who's patterned face spoke pure fear as he ran his fingers  
  
over a rosary, his thoughts spinning fast in too speedy and fluent a German for her to understand. He admired her. He  
  
thought she was brave and fearless, his Faith in God and in the goodness of people was so dazzling it was blinding.   
  
These people who did not even know her, had no reason to care whether she lived or died. The strength and utter   
  
sweetness of these emotions was almost too intense to bear.  
  
And then they stopped again.  
  
Slowly straightening, Raia looked round at the faces of these strangers who had cared more than anyone else had. With  
  
horror she felt like her face was about to crumple but harshly prevented it. As if knowing all that was passing through  
  
her head and completely understanding, Xavier smiled reassuringly.   
  
"Fine. I'll stay until I'm well. Then I'm out of here." 


	6. Chapter Six Raia's Gift

As the days passed Raia marvelled at the way things worked around the school. Her instinctive belief that things were   
  
normal for the people who lived here had been right, at least as normal as life as mutants could be. There was no fear,  
  
no anger. Just pure acceptance and understanding for one another, and a constant undertone of happiness that they no  
  
longer had to hide, no longer had to worry that they were going to spend the rest of their lives alone. As Raia's   
  
strength gradually returned she took to wandering around the grounds and the house, even sitting in the back in the  
  
lessons. The things she learnt fascinated her. Getting an education had not been altogether easy for her. And   
  
throughout all this time she was with these people, though they were undoubtedly curious, they never once brought up  
  
again her mutation. The people were intriguing to say the least, not least of all Logan, who seemed to hide a good  
  
honorable heart behind an aggressive, irritable demeanour. He was gorgeous, something she noted but didn't pay much  
  
attention to. The concept of anyone ever having feelings for her, or for her to have feelings for them, had never even  
  
crossed her mind. They amiably insulted each other whenever they encountered each other, finding each other seemingly  
  
very irritating. She didn't doubt that he found her to be a cold over-zealous bitch, and she had no problem with him  
  
thinking so. Scott was sweet in a very gentlemanly way, and Orora was strong-minded and opinionated, attributes she  
  
admired in any woman. She found Kurt utterly endearing and felt harsh flares of anger whenever a surprised look was   
  
given him by students and did her best to draw him out of his shell. At first he was seemingly nervous around her, but   
  
when he realised her intentions were entirely sincere and friendly he was far more willing to talk. Initially talking   
  
with him, talking with anyone, was awkward for her. She was, after all, not used to the small talk that was necessary   
  
with getting to know people. She had never bothered with it before, because she had not been trying to make friends.   
  
When she realised this was what she was ultimately doing, trying to make these people her friends, her relaxation   
  
stopped. She saw now why she had not tried to contact Gagged, why she had agreed to stay. Because she wanted to stay.   
  
For the first time since she was a child she had found a place where she felt safe, and admitting this shook her to her   
  
very core. She wanted this, this place where everyone was a mutant, and everyone accepted one another. She didn't want   
  
to have to hide any more. She wanted to have a chance to live a normal life. Appalled by her selfishness, she instantly  
  
detached herself once more, ceasing conversations with everyone and being even more cold than before. The sharp reversal  
  
to her old attitude did not go unnoticed by the others, who couldn't quite understand why she felt it necessary to  
  
isolate herself from people.  
  
"You gonna go hide in your room some more then?" said Logan as he passed her door, tilting his head in an almost   
  
accusatory manner. Raia stopped and sighed heavily, resigning herself to a confrontation. "Is that a problem Fuzzy?"  
  
she said in a disinterested tone, turning and leaning against her door. "No not at all, it's just all of a sudden you've  
  
gone back to your frosty the snow bitch routine. Not that you've bothered thawing that much but at least it was an  
  
improvement." he said, smiling in sarcastic charm. Raia was more than a little displeased to find herself feeling mildly  
  
hurt. "Well I'm not trying to make friends, I'm not staying long." she said, turning to go through her door again.   
  
"That's what I thought at first, and I'm still here. This place has a habit of growing on you, the people grow on you."  
  
he continued. She paused, turning back at him. She felt like she was swiftly losing grip of this conversation and she  
  
didn't like it. "You don't have to hide from us." he said, his tone more soft than normal, stepping forward slightly.  
  
She shook her head "You couldn't possibly understand." "So make me." he retorted, a challenge in his eyes. Sighing in  
  
exasperation, she turned and went into her room, leaving the door open for him to follow. He did so, peering round the  
  
room as he did, taking it in. True to her previous statement, it was apparent she was not staying long. Nothing was  
  
unpacked, clothes that Orora had bought for her were all placed neatly in a bag on a chair by the desk. Everything was  
  
impeccably neat. "Friends make a person weak." she said simply, sitting on the end of the bed and staring at him calmly.  
  
"You make friendships, your priorities change to those people, you lose sight of the larger picture. They compromise   
  
your judgement. I can't afford to have my priorities changed OR my judgement compromised. My focus has to be on my  
  
cause, and that is helping mutants." Logan sat down on the edge of the bed next to her "Friends don't make you weak.   
  
They strengthen your resolve, you'd do anything to protect them. It's also kinda funny that you're so caught up in   
  
helping mutants when you won't even admit you're a mutant yourself. What are you ashamed?" he said, instantly regretting  
  
it when he saw her face contort in barely concealed distress. "I am NOT ashamed!" she hissed out. He looked up in   
  
surprise. Never before had she admitted that she was in fact a mutant. "Then what's the problem?" "I'm... I can't..."  
  
she began, her eyes wavering before she closed them and breathed slowly. When she opened her eyes again she was calm  
  
and collected as before, and Logan saw the moment to question this issue was lost. "You know what I think? I think   
  
you're afraid of making friends. You know that if you try, you'll have to handle rejection, you'll have to handle losing  
  
people you care about." he said, grinning slightly, his words sharp but well intentioned. Her bronze eyes however were  
  
as hard as flint, never showing how deep the words cut "I'm glad you feel that way. Now d'you mind gettin' your ass  
  
out of my room?" He shrugged and stood up "Fine, but you oughta think about what I just said." he continued, walking out  
  
just as Scott ran past the room. Seeing him there, he stopped and reversed "Logan, we need help with fixing the jet,   
  
feel like getting dirty?" he said. Raia's eyebrows rose "A Jet?" Logan looked at Scott as if for confirmation,  
  
and he shrugged "I guess we can show her."  
  
"This is unbelievable!" exclaimed Raia as she looked up at the jet, its sleek technology leaving her dumb with disbelief.  
  
"Where the Hell d'you get the money for this?" She asked, forgetting all about remaining cool and distant in a wash of  
  
curiousity. Logan shrugged and grinned "No idea, I guess Chuck's loaded." he said before heading underneath the jet to  
  
an opened compartment that Kurt was fiddling with. Xavier and Ororo entered, each giving Raia a smile. "How are you   
  
feeling today Raia?" Asked Ororo, coming over to inspect her bandages. "A lot better." she replied, wincing slightly as  
  
Ororo lifted her shirt and gently pressed the wound on her stomach. "This isn't working. Lemme get some more tools."   
  
grumbled Logan, heading out from under the jet. Scott meanwhile had climbed inside the ship to see if they were making  
  
any headway with their repairs. Suddenly an ominous shriek of tearing metal echoed through the docking space of the Jet,  
  
and the room shuddered. They all looked about them in confusion and growing unease as another shriek occured. Kurt   
  
straightened up slightly, worry etched across his face. Too late Xavier noticed a piece of the undercarriage next to   
  
the right front landing wheel of the jet splinter away, taking the wheel with it. The jet lurched down an inch,   
  
impacting with Kurt's head. He fell back instantly, unconscious. "What the Hell's going on out there?" they heard   
  
Scott roar from inside the Jet. "KURT!" shrieked Ororo as the jet began to buckle under the weight laying on three  
  
wheels instead of four. None of them were fast enough to move as it collapsed down on top of Kurt's prone body. But  
  
just as the Jet hit the floor, making the entire room vibrate with a sickening thud, Xavier saw a red glow emit around  
  
Kurt. "KURT! OH MY GOD KURT!" screamed Ororo, running an inch forward before stopping again, as if she couldn't bear to  
  
go near the crippled jet that had crushed her friend. Through her tears she saw Xavier's gaze locked on Raia. Turning,  
  
she saw Raia was standing with her hand held up towards the jet, eyes wide with utter primal fear. A strangled whimper  
  
came out of her throat as everyone's eyes fell on her. There was another abrupt flash of red, and Kurt was at her feet,  
  
unconscious, but alive. Storm ran over, breathing shakily and tested his pulse. "He's alive." she said, cradling his  
  
head in her lap. Her stare returning to Raia, she saw the state that she was in as the others did. Her breathing was  
  
shallow and irregular, her eyes utterly wild. Then she let out a broken scream that seemed to echo around the entire  
  
metallic room before spinning and smashing herself into the wall, pulling at her hair and shrieking like a mad thing.  
  
Logan ran over and grabbed her but she simply flailed angrily, not even seeming to see him but just striking out.   
  
Eventually he pinned her to the floor on her stomach and unsheathed the two outer claws on each of his hands,   
  
inter-meshing them around her wrists as impromptu handcuffs. He became increasingly alarmed when this did not stop her  
  
and she continued struggling, the claws cutting deep into her wrists, her wailing never stopping. Her buckings were so  
  
violent that even when he actual straddled her back to hold her down he was nearly deseated. "Raia stop I'm gonna  
  
cut your hands off if you don't hold still!" he yelled over the top of her shrieks. Gradually, she stopped, her breathing  
  
slowing, her eyes glazing over. Logan looked round at the others who were all frozen stiff in complete shock. It   
  
appeared that they had now witnessed, in whatever shape, Raia's powers. 


End file.
